There is a story behind the pose Anjaneyasana. It goes something like this: There was a woman named Anjana who wanted a child so much that she prayed everyday that the Lord would provide her with one. With hands stretched open toward the sky in a gesture of receiving she would take a lunging position as she did so.

Vayu, the wind god, felt Anjana was a deserving woman and so dropped a seed into her outstretched hands. Upon feeling it, Anjana immediately swallowed the seed, which is how she became pregnant. Anjaneya, who later is renamed Hanuman, is the result of this pregnancy.

To take a low or crescent lunge, start in downward facing dog and bring one foot up to land between the hands. Start with the back hip stacked over the knee and slowly come forward into the lunge so that your front knee ends up over the front ankle. Keeping that 90 degree angle on the front leg, arms traditionally come up along side the ears or palms join together slightly in front of the head. That said, arms can stay along side of the body, can touch the floor if you have trouble balancing or you can bring the hands to the front thigh. Any of these options will allow the back hip flexor and thigh to stretch out. While doing this pose it is helpful to draw in toward the midline of the body – without